SingTel's Easy Mobile Plans: Are they Worth Signing Up with a Two-Year Contract?

Making Sense of SingTel's Easy Mobile Plans

Asia's first customizable mobile plans are launched today in Singapore thanks to SingTel. Dubbed Easy Mobile, there are four plans - Small, Medium, Large and XLarge - that allows subscribers to tweak the talktime, SMS and data bundle they want each month. Each plan comes with a set allowance of units that can be allocated for voice calls, SMS and data. One unit represents 50 minutes of outgoing local callsor500 local SMS/MMSor0.5GB of local data usage.

Easy Mobile Plans

Small

Medium

Large

XLarge

Monthly Subscription

$33

$45

$65

$105

Total Number of Voice, SMS
and Data Units

4 units

10 units

16 units

26 units

Cost per unit

$8.25

$4.50

$4.06

$4.03

Standard Services Include

Free Incoming Calls
and Caller Alert Feature

Besides giving users more control, flexibility and convenience, these plans seem more affordable than the other existing mobile plans offered by SingTel. Easy Mobile is currently only applicable when signing up for a new plan on a two-year contract.

Having said that, Easy Mobile plans are not available for sign up without a handset contract. Customers can also purchase a smartphone with any of the four Easy Mobile plans on a two-year contract. There are currently seven smartphones and one tablet available on contract plans with Easy Mobile.

The word on the street is that Easy Mobile does not offer better subsidies than the other mobile plans from SingTel. However, Mr. Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel's CEO Consumer Singapore stated during the launch event that customers can expect "comparable" subsidies on Easy Mobile.

While the total costs incurred over two years appear to be cheaper for Easy Mobile, you have to take note of the differences in data bundle. With excess data charges pegged at $10.70/GB, you are looking at an additional cost of $21.40 per month (or $513.60) if you want to match the 2GB data bundle offered on the Lite plan. Therefore, you are better off with the existing Lite plan for basic usage needs.

Mid-Tier Plans Comparison

Mobile Plan

Value (Current)

Medium (Easy Mobile)

Monthly Subscription

$59.90

$45

Local Outgoing Mins

200

200

Local SMS

900

500

Local Data Bundle

3GB

2.5GB

Phone Contract Prices

Samsung Galaxy S5 (32GB)

$398

$688

Sony Xperia Z2 (16GB)

$328

$568

Apple iPhone 5S
(32GB)

$368

$668

Total Costs Incurred over Two Years

Value (Current)

Medium (Easy Mobile)

Samsung Galaxy S5 (32GB)

$1,835.60

$1,768

Sony Xperia Z2 (16GB)

$1,765.60

$1,648

Apple iPhone 5S (32GB)

$1,805.60

$1,748

In the mid-tier plan comparison, things start to get more interesting as you have more units to customize on the Medium sized Easy Mobile plan. By deducting one unit from the SMS bundle and adding it to the data bundle, you get 2.5GB data bundle and the same amount of talk time.

If 2.5GB, 200 minutes of talktime and 500 SMS/MMS suffice for you, the total costs incurred over two years on the Medium Easy Mobile plan would be a better deal as you will save at least $55 over a two-year period depending on the choice of the phone.

High-Tier Plans Comparison

Mobile Plan

Plus (Current)

Large (Easy Mobile)

XL (Easy Mobile)

Monthly Subscription

$99.90

$65

$105

Local Outgoing Mins

500

350

500

Local SMS

1000

500

500

Local Data Bundle

4GB

4GB

7.5GB

Phone Contract Prices

Samsung Galaxy S5 (32GB)

$218

$398

$218

Sony Xperia Z2 (16GB)

$88

$278

$88

Apple iPhone 5S
(32GB)

$128

$368

$128

Total Costs Incurred over Two Years

Plus (Current)

Large (Easy Mobile)

XL (Easy Mobile)

Samsung Galaxy S5 (32GB)

$2,615.60

$1,958

$2,738

Sony Xperia Z2 (16GB)

$2485.60

$1,838

$2,608

Apple iPhone 5S
(32GB)

$2,525.60

$1,928

$2,648

This is where things start to get really interesting. Since the Large and XL Easy Mobile plans are priced in the same range as the current Plus plan, we will compare all three plans in the same table.

For the Large plan, we've chosen one unit for SMS/MMS, while allocating 7 units for talk time (350 minutes) and the remaining 8 units for data (4GB). For the XL plan, we maintained the same amount of units for voice and SMS bundle while increasing the data bundle to 7.5GB (almost double that of Plus).

If you think the combination of units for the Large plan is sufficient to meet your needs, you would be looking at cost savings of at least S$600 over two years. On the other hand, paying for an extra 150 mins of talk time ($0.1605 per min, or $24.075 per month, or $577.80 for 24 months) over two years will have gain you no savings on either the Plus or the Large plan.

Last but not least, even if you are paying an average of $120 more on the XL plan over a two-year period, you get an additional 3.5GB data bundle. In comparison, you have to fork out $42.80 per month (or $1,027.20 over two years) for the equivalent extra data incurred on the Plus plan.

Concluding Thoughts

As seen from the tabulated comparisons above, the Large and XLarge plans from Easy Mobile offer more cost savings to consumers if they sign up for a two-year contract with a phone. They also offer more flexibility as there are more units for consumers to customize. Having said that, the Small and Medium plans are more suited for consumers who do not want a two-year contract.